When will 50 65 yr olds be invited for flu job?

[likeamillpond]

Didn't BJ promise to extend the vaccine to this age group? Way back in July I think
Or did I dream it.
Or has that also gone out the window.
Can't keep up with the changes anymore.

Jab of course

I had my flu jab a couple of weeks ago. I’m 63, my doctor sent me a text message asking me to ring them to book a time to have it done. Or to say no if I didn’t want to have it.

DH has been invited, he got a text yesterday, he’s 59, do they still send out letters as GP hasn’t got my phone or email as I have been to the GP for years.

I'm 64 and phoned gp a couple of weeks ago and they are not rolling it out heree

Got mine this week, underlying health condition. Most won't be until December.

My DM late 70’s hasn’t had hers yet.

Maybe it depends on what health authority you come under? I’m in the South East, in a suburb in a Borough of London.

I think it depends on area and availability. £12 at a chemist if you can afford to have it privately.

Why wait to be invited, just ring up and ask your surgery. Not sure what you expect us to tell you, it will be different for each gp surgery depending on how they are running their vaccination program.

No vaccines available at any local pharmacy including supermarket ones. Have been waiting two weeks for new supplies. Home counties, not sure if other parts of the country are faring better

I’m with those who have said just pay for one, we don’t have enough slack in the NHS. If you want something faster you’ll need to fund it.

H got a letter last week and made an appointment for next week. He's 53.

I haven't had a letter yet - don't know whether it's because I'm two years younger or because we're at opposite ends of the alphabet!

My surgery have no vaccine until January now they said

They’re still getting through those eligible on health grounds. I’ve only just had mine.

I work in primary care, advise from nhs is to keep going with at risk patients and they will let us know when it is appropriate to start the general 50-64 yo. I personally think that once we start Covid vacinations the flu programme will be shelved (Could be wrong but don't know think GPs have capacity)

My GP's surgery sent out a letter saying the 50-64 yr olds would begin being invited for a flu jab in November. No sign of a letter yet, though.

62, booked in for NHS jab on Saturday. Our surgery is now inviting 60 to 65 year olds

We had expected to be doing them by now but we haven't been allowed to order the vaccines for that cohort yet. We ran out before we vaccinated all the at risk under 65s who wanted it, we have to wait another 2 weeks at least for them. I'm not sure the 50-65 thing will happen. We had a much bigger uptake this year (apparently the government didn't see this coming!) and general practices ordered this season's flu vaccines last season (that's how it works).

This is down to your particular health trust. In our HT, all vulnerable people (age and health condition) were done a couple of months ago and other groups have already been given appointments. Our HT were really organised and had ordered ahead of others I assume because we don’t normally get our jabs done as early as we did this year (we’ve all got asthma so me and teenage DDs get it for that and DH is 68 so gets it based on age). I’ve got four friends in that age group mentioned who’ve been offered an appointment for the first time this year.

Matt Hancock on BBC this morning saying free flu jabs for 50-64 being done at GPS and Pharmacies in December through to January

Like a poster above, we had such a huge uptake of flu vaccines in the over 65’s and at risk categories ( nearly double normal) that we have no vaccines left. We are trying desperately to order more from government stocks but so far they are telling us they are out of stock.

We live in the South of England and you can’t have a flu jab done privately unless you are in a vulnerable group, places aren’t even taking bookings. So it’s not a case of just paying for one.

Why are people clambering over each other for the flu vaccine this year.

It won’t help against Covid and it seems like from figures in March etc that flu is way down

TheNinjaWife - Vulnerable groups get a free flu jab. Who told you that, because I had a flu jab done last month at my local pharmacy, and was asked if I was exempt or paying for it. I am in the south East too.

@Bushola

Why are people clambering over each other for the flu vaccine this year.

It won’t help against Covid and it seems like from figures in March etc that flu is way down

Isn't it obvious?

People want it because awareness of how poorly the flu can make you is very high. It has been widely discussed that the combination of the usual level of serious flu cases added to high levels of serious covid is the disaster scenario we're trying to avoid.

Also, the symptoms are similar to covid, which means that if you do catch it, even mildly then you, and anyone else you've been in contact with ends up self isolating with all of the inconvenience that causes. I would hope that everyone would want to avoid being the cause of someone else having to self isolate.